We did it. We banded together in secret and set Simeon up with his own Nintendo Switch. Simeon is a faithful YouTuber who has been creating Nintendo content for years, day in and day out. But 2017 hasn’t been easy on him and he hasn’t been able to afford his own Switch console. We thought that was wrong; as someone who reports on the latest Nintendo news, we thought Simeon deserved the latest and greatest. That’s why TBC viewers from all over the world pooled their funds to buy him a surprise package including the console, games, and accessories. A sincere thanks to all of those who have supported Simeon (and Scott) over the years. The Crew is the best.
“Exit the Premises” Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com)
Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0
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Nintendo
SteamWorld Heist, Street Fighter News!
SteamWorld Heist: Ultimate Edition is coming to Nintendo Switch! Also announced as a multiplatform game from Capcom: Street Fighter 30th Anniversary Collection. Which announcement are you most of excited about? Let us know in the comments!
“Exit the Premises” Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com)
Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0
http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/
Nine Parchments – Can We Work Together?
Simeon and Scott tackle the brand new Switch eShop game, Nine Parchments! Spoilers: It’s great for two player co-op. This is an unusual twin-stick shooter, not taking place in outer space but grounded in the world of fantasy. Check the demo out for free on Switch eShop!
“Exit the Premises” Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com)
Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0
http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/
Online Infrastructure Scott's Thoughts
Forget my two front teeth. All I want for Christmas is a solid online infrastructure for Nintendo Switch!
Add Friends
Can friend codes please go die in a deep, dark, flaming, sulfury smelling hole? Thanks.
There’s no reason that friend codes should still exist. They’re long, impersonal, impractical, and not used in any other modern technological setting.
See Friends
Nintendo has historically been all about the “couch multiplayer” experience, but it’s time those sensibilities were extended to online play. Their preferences don’t excuse them for providing trash solutions over the Internet. When my friend comes online to play a game, I get a little pop-up in the top left corner of my screen… but that’s it! I can’t tap on it, can’t spectate their session, can’t send them a message… nothing. Nintendo could also bring competitive leaderboard features to the forefront by notifying me when my scores are broken by a friend, even before I pop the cartridge in!
Join Friends
It should be easy to play online with my friends, no matter which mode. It should also be painless to make sure we’re on the same Splatoon team, rather than randomly being pitted against each other. Nintendo has always brought friends together, so let’s write the extra lines of code necessary to facilitate that when we aren’t in the same room.
Talk to Friends
Tools. That’s all we need! We just require the tools to speak to our friends, the tools to monitor or restrict that usage for our children, and the ability to use our own equipment. You won’t catch me dead with that horrid squid dongle with a web of cables running every which way… keep it simple.
It shouldn’t matter if we’re playing the same game, either. System-wide party chat has been solved for a couple console generations, so the Big N needs to jump on the bandwagon.
I’m not being too demanding because Nintendo’s competitors have all of this covered already. This is nothing new.
Nintendo starts charging for online play in 2018, and the ramp-up hasn’t looked very promising with how they’ve handled their mobile app and voice chat so far. For crying out loud, Discord has even gone on record saying that Nintendo could contract them to handle this whole infrastructure! There are no more excuses. They have to get this right if they think fans will subscribe to their service.
Does This Game Bring me Joy? Scott's Thoughts
After multiple articles on downsizing your dusty gaming collection, you’ve probably gotten rid of a bunch of junk, right?
No?
Today’s thought is a simple one, and it can bring you a surprising amount of clarity.
When trying to decide what to keep, throw away, sell, or even what to play next… ask yourself one question:
Does this game bring me joy?
If yes, keep. If no, bye bye.
(Psst… this principal works on movies, clothes, books, pretty much everything. Except living human beings.) Here’s to decluttering!
Which Games are “Perfect for the Switch”? Scott's Thoughts
“That game is perfect for Switch!”
I’ve heard that phrase every day since the system launched. But what does it mean?
What makes a game perfect for Switch? I started getting a little confused when I heard it simultaneously applied to games like Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild and Picross. Two completely different, polar opposite experiences.
- Is the Switch perfect for long, single-player adventures because you can chip away at them whenever you have time, on the go?
- Is the Switch perfect for bite-sized games that you can boot up and score a quick-win in a couple minutes?
- Is Nintendo’s new console a match made in heaven for single player games that you can hold up close and personal?
- Or is it perfect for multiplayer, competitive games in a LAN setting?
The answer, of course, is yes. Yes to all of the above. Nintendo seems to have caught lightning in a bottle and created a piece of kit that’s begging to have every new release, multiplatform game, indie title, and definitive edition developed for or ported to it.
There has never been a home console or portable that draws games toward it with such a magnetic force, attracting a diverse collection of titles at that.
A new phenomenon has started to happen where multiplatform announcements are discussed as “coming to Switch and other platforms.”
For Real Though—The Joy-Con IR Sensor?! Scott's Thoughts
$50. That’s how much it costs to buy half a controller in the Nintendo Switch era.
Don’t get me wrong! I like the Joy-Con. They’re packed with a lot of technology with plenty of inputs, HD rumble, NFC read/write, and weirdest of all: an IR camera.
This useless feature was announced in January, and was shown off with the ability to detect rock-paper-scissors motions.
I don’t know about you, but I can play rock-paper-scissors in real life, and I’m not particularly eager to face off against a computer opponent.
Oh, and I can’t forget the 1-2-Switch implementation in Eating Contest, which totally works and no one is ever frustrated with.
Sigh.
As usual, Nintendo went overboard and had one too many ideas with their new hardware. The Wii Classic Controller clip comes to mind.
Infrared has been used successfully on Wii, for pointer controls, and on 3DS for amiibo accessory connectivity. This is not one of those times.
Prove me wrong, Nintendo! Your move.
Where the Metroid Series Needs to Go Scott's Thoughts
Samus has been all over the galaxy, answering distress calls everywhere from overrun space stations to giant baby bottles.
Her contemporaries (Mario and Link) have had huge shake-ups in their respective series, much needed to avoid fatigue and bring something fresh. Where does Samus need to go from here?
Earth.
Samus needs to land on planet Earth and defend it from invading aliens.
That’s how this series can mature and raise the stakes all in one fell swoop. It’s great that she’s a solitary and silent hero, and I know the Metroid series is lauded for its isolation and atmosphere. But…
We can’t just keep fighting Ridley and Space Pirates over and over, acting surprised when the Metroid race is not extinct (again).
The entire game doesn’t have to be set on Earth, either. She can speed off in her gunship to stop a planetary attack from being launched—that kind of thing!
I don’t expect a monumental shift like this to occur in Metroid Prime 4, because that wouldn’t be a logical way to proceed after the trilogy. However, the Metroid franchise will need to take a big step sooner or later.
Although this series of games was born at the same time that most of Nintendo’s IP were created in the NES era, Metroid titles always sell surprisingly low compared to their peers. The Big N needs to shake things up and attract mainstream attention to this series, or it will probably always exist in a state of sales flux with long periods between sequels.
Metroid could also benefit from dropping the “Metroid” name. It’s weird to have a franchise named after a common enemy (like Goomba Odyssey or Bokoblin of the Wild) and only serves to box in the developers’ creativity.
But now I’m just talkin’ crazy.
What a Wonderful (Super Mario) World
Super Mario Odyssey might be all the rage right now, but Super Mario World was also released this year! On the SNES Classic Edition, of course. Simeon and Scott are taking a trip down memory lane to a game that many still consider the best of its class. Super Mario World changed things dramatically for the Mario series, and introduced many beloved mainstays.
“Exit the Premises” Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com)
Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0
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Dear Pro Controller… ?
Caution: You may tear up as you behold the pure love shared in this video, from Scott to his faithful Nintendo Switch Pro Controller.
“Exit the Premises” Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com)
Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0
http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/
Mega Man 11 and Portal* for Switch!
Every few days, a brand new game is announced for Nintendo Switch. We’ve started doing a news segment weekly and we can barely keep up! In this installment, we discuss the (blue) bombshell that Mega Man 11 is blasting his way to Switch next year, followed by the biggest surprise in a while… Portal is back?
“Exit the Premises” Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com)
Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0
http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/
Switch 2.0 Inbound Scott's Thoughts
I’ve seen the pattern.
Nintendo releases a new console, which is disruptive and revolutionary in the gaming industry (innovate).
Next, they follow it up with a system that refines and advances their previous console (iterate).
Then the cycle repeats.
- NES: brought arcade-level gaming to the home | SNES: improved graphics, added buttons
- N64: introduced 3D gaming, rumble, 4-player | Gamecube: improved graphics, added a c-stick
- Wii: debuted motion control, wireless gaming | Wii U: improved graphics, had some good games
Switch followed in the footsteps of NES, N64, and Wii, changing the way we think about and interact with games.
It’s also experiencing an outstanding amount of success, with a warm reception from core gaming enthusiasts.
There’s no doubt in my mind that Nintendo will continue the trend and stay on the trail that Switch is blazing. Their next console will be a Switch 2.0.
It will be more powerful, will have a few of those features that we wanted but did not get, and will be an easy upgrade. VR is a no-brainer, but time will tell if that’s the main focus.
Mark my words!
The Devolution of Paper Mario Scott's Thoughts
I remember being drawn to the first Paper Mario like a magnet.
It was in a video rental store, and I saw the N64 cartridge sitting on the bottom shelf. I didn’t know why Mario was paper, or why it was turn-based, but I immediately brought it home.
Of course, an RPG like Paper Mario can’t really be explored and beaten during a rental period, so I ended up buying it. I had to! The story, the characters, and the gameplay were so compelling that I had to see the adventure through to the end.
The Thousand Year Door was a beautiful follow-up on GameCube, which I first laid eyes upon at a WalMart. It was one of those demo kiosks where you had to stare up at the ceiling and snap your head backward to see. It continued the wonderful characterizations, thickened the plot, and introduced exciting new transformations for Mario that shook up the gameplay.
Super Paper Mario was memorable. Although stripping out the beloved traditional RPG elements, the game introduced a compelling tale of love and tragedy, alongside an interesting 2D-to-3D mechanic.
And then it all went downhill.
Unique, lovable, captivating characters were replaced with gimmicks of stickers and paint.
The modern entries have their own merit, and bring some amount of charm. But along the way, the franchise lost focus. Paper Mario became more about churning out a quick win for sales and marketing than it was about world-building.
It might have been when the father of Mario gave the Sticker Star team these directions:
There were two main things that Miyamoto-san said from the start of the project—”It’s fine without a story, so do we really need one?” and “As much as possible, complete it with only characters from the Super Mario world.” –Iwata Asks
Miyamoto was wrong.
Nintendo’s Job ≠ Parents’ Job Scott's Thoughts
I grew up with three parents: Mom, Dad, and Nintendo.
My mother and father were great—kept me out of trouble, let me earn trust, and gave me some slack on the leash.
Nintendo, on the other hand, has always been the stereotypical helicopter parent.
And still is.
When I moved out of my Mom and Dad’s house, I took my Nintendo games with me. Along with them, I brought some overbearing restrictions along for the ride.
I got my own place to live, my own car to ride, and my own job to cover my bills. That’s what we call “adulting.” Unfortunately, I still feel like a kid when I try to play online and use the limited internet services built into Nintendo systems.
This company from Japan thinks it’s their job to raise me. It’s not, and it never was.
If Nintendo wants to provide a parental control app—great. The one for Switch has some neat features. That needs to be the end of their responsibilities, so parents can do the rest.
It would sure be nice to talk to my friends… or even my competitors if I want to!
Innovation vs. Iteration Scott's Thoughts
Innovation: to revolutionize, change, transform, or evolve.
Iteration: to repeat, improve, patch, or expand.
Historically, Nintendo is a very iterative company. Most of their characters and concepts came from the mid-80s, when the company created its first batch of games for NES.
For many subsequent generations, they’ve followed the formulae, making a Mario game. A Zelda game. A Metroid game. Sequels got marginally better, improving upon past issues.
They’ve been honing their craft. Perfecting.
The only problem with this tradition is that it’s not very exciting. People start saying things like “if you’ve played one, you’ve played them all,” and “they keep recycling the same story over and over again.”
Nintendo Wii was the company’s first major hardware innovation in a long time—and they knew it, naming it codename “Revolution.” We were starting to see a brand that was ready to transform the gaming industry. Funny enough, the console’s success caused the console-maker to follow up with a safe “half-step” successor, but the masses weren’t listening anymore.
The good news is: innovative Nintendo is back, and that culture is seeping into their most beloved franchises. Breath of the Wild and Odyssey took a big leap in evolving the gameplay front. Next, we’ll see bigger shifts in story and presentation.
Buckle up! Your responsibility is being open to the change.
Nintendo Fans are Running the Company Scott's Thoughts
For a few years now, Nintendo execs have been talking about passing the torch. Younger developers are starting to take the reigns on new intellectual property like Splatoon and ARMS, as well as helping more seasoned devs shake up existing franchises that have stagnated.
These youthful employees are of a new generation, cut from a different cloth than Nintendo management has typically been made up of.
They’re Nintendo fans.
Kids who grew up a couple decades ago have been playing the company’s games their whole life, learned how to design and code, then landed a job at the Big N itself.
There’s a lot of respect for Nintendo’s stable of franchises, yet, the new employees aren’t as emotionally attached. That distinction allows for more change, experimentation, and advancement than we have previously seen.
When Nintendo fans run the company, you start seeing decisions that make more sense (to us fellow Nintendo fans). Things that we would actually come up with! Like naming a two-dimensional 3DS the 2DS. Like bringing back Star Fox 2 on a Classic Edition. Like reproducing the excellent GameCube controller for Super Smash Bros. 4.
We’re in good hands!
Will Nintendo Ever Make a Pro Console? Scott’s Thoughts
Nintendo fans know the drill by now; their products are innovative and fun, but always underpowered.
Competitors are releasing impressive systems that end in “Pro” and “X,” which process teraflops like nobody’s business…
Will the Big N ever enter the computing arms race?
It would certainly make it easier for third-parties to bring their multiplatform software over. Of course, the trade-off is always price, and it seems that Nintendo is unwilling to be the most expensive option on the market.
Historically, that kind of price tag didn’t serve the PS3 well, or the Xbox One in the following generation.
Nintendo has picked their battles wisely, because they know their audience and how to reach them.
2DS and 3DS are the current entry-level offerings, while Switch is their only product on the high-end. What if another tier existed at the top (a third-pillar, so to speak) that appealed to the more spec-savvy crowd?
I’d like to have the option. Nintendo will likely sit back this generation and watch how Microsoft and Sony’s top-of-the-line hardware performs before considering an equivalent.
tldr; no—probably not.
2017 New Years Gaming Resolutions
We are so gonna Smash these goals! Welcome to 2017 everybody!
Goodbye 2016, hello 2017! We did pretty good on our goals from last year, so it’s time to set some all new resolutions for the coming year. And we’re gamers at the core, so each one of our goals is related to bettering ourselves as video game players and Nintendo fans during the next 365 days. We Have recently started playing over watch which is a great game, we even found this website for Overwatch boosting to help make our gaming experience more fun. Did you make any New Year’s Resolutions? What did you think of ours? Let us know in the comments below.
Shot by Alex Campbell
“Escape the Premises” Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com)
Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0
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Super Castlevia IV – Let’s Whip Some Tail
A pattern is emerging… each week, our Patrons get to vote on which games we stream live. Each week, they pick the hardest ones possible. On this edition of Let’s Play Classics, Simeon and Scott are tasked with conquering the first few levels of Super Castlevania IV on the SNES Classic Edition. Will they abuse the rewind feature? Will they throw their beautiful new controllers in frustration? Find out, and enjoy the show!
“Exit the Premises” Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com)
Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0
http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/
Now You’re Pronouncing with Power!
We dare you not to laugh as Simeon and Scott attempt to change the way you pronounce Nintendo words, forever! The premise of this episode is simple; we say words as wrongly as possible and you enjoy the funny results. Comment your favorite!
“Exit the Premises” Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com)
Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0
http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/
